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If You Come Softly

About the Book

Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, Jacqueline Woodson’s beloved, lyrical story of star-crossed love is as timely as ever.

Jeremiah feels good in his own skin. That is, when he’s in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he’s attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don’t exactly fit in there. So it’s a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock, and after that they know they fit together, even though she’s Jewish and he’s black. It doesn’t matter to them that their worlds are so different, because their feelings for each other go way deeper than that. Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily see their budding relationship the way they do.